The two movie stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, appeared as the main characters of the movie drama It Ends With Us, which was released in the summer of 2024. Based on the best-selling book by Colleen Hoover, the movie quickly rose to popularity, earning $50 million in the U.S. and Canada the weekend after its debut (Vanity Fair). Although the movie was a hit, behind-the-scenes turmoil was not revealed until late December of 2024 (Vogue).
Lively sued Baldoni on account of sexual harassment and accused him of making attempts to damage and tarnish her professional career during the promotion of the film (Vogue). Furthermore, Lively went on to say that Baldoni and other producers created an unhealthy working environment while on set (Vogue). Baldoni’s legal team fired back, calling Lively’s accusations “shameful” and “categorically false” (Vogue). In January of this year, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation, civil extortion, and invasion of privacy, and seeking $400 million (Vogue). This battle of lawsuits caused controversy in the media, especially with the sexual harassment allegations from Lively.
Recent news suggests that the lawsuit between the two stars is nearing an end. On November 13th of this year, Baldoni officially asked a U.S. judge to dismiss Lively’s lawsuit that accused him of sexual harassment and damaging her reputation (Reuters). In a recent court filing, Baldoni’s lawyers defended the actor, stating that he had addressed Lively’s concerns and misunderstandings, including comments about her physical appearance (Reuters). They also noted that Baldoni was within his rights to hire a crisis management firm to defend his reputation after Lively’s allegations were made.
The trial has had the public on the edge of their seats since December, when the allegations first surfaced. Baldoni even attempted to question superstar Taylor Swift under oath as she was a former friend of Lively’s (Reuters). However, with recent evidence coming to light, the tensions between Baldoni and Lively heightened. Newly submitted evidence shows a scene filmed in May 2023 in which Lively’s character kisses Baldoni’s character in every take. Baldoni and his team argue that this kiss was improvised, going against Lively’s specific allegations that Baldoni would improvise kisses without her knowledge or consent (INews). This new evidence, along with Lively’s lawsuit seeking high financial damages, has put both of their careers on the line.
The trial has garnered media attention, including among students and teachers here at Ramapo. Senior Joan Carilli, who has read and watched the movie It Ends With Us, stated, “I’ve heard about the trial through social media. I’ve seen two compelling sides of the story, so I’m not sure who to believe. But, I was very surprised to learn about their conflicts after watching them together in the movie.” Along with this insight, math teacher Ms. Biunno stated, “ I loved reading the book It Ends With Us, but I didn’t love the movie as much as I thought. I’ve chosen not to follow the trial too closely because of this.”
The high-stakes trial has put both of the superstars’ reputations at risk. Although the first part of the trial is over, there is more to come, with another trial scheduled for March 2026, when hopefully the turmoil will come to an end.
